Federal Grand Jury Indictments

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that a federal grand jury in Columbia, South Carolina, returned indictments against the following:

Columbia Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

Jack Richardson Wyatt, age 28, of Columbia, was charged in a two-count indictment with distribution and possession of child pornography, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2) and Section 2252(a)(5)(B). The maximum penalty Wyatt could receive is 20 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by agents of the FBI and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen of the Columbia office for prosecution. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Branchville Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

Louis Lloyd Lerch, age 48, of Branchville, was charged in a three-count indictment with possession and distribution of child pornography, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2) and Section 2252A(a)(5)(B). The maximum penalty Lerch could receive is 20 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by agents of the FBI and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen of the Columbia office for prosecution. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this indictment is merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.